from the Book Ahkām wa Masā’il Kitāb o Sunnat ki Roshni Mein by Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbānī
How many days a week can Qur’an lessons be held in the mosque? Can it be conducted daily after any of the prayers, or should a fixed day and time be chosen each week? Please explain what is established from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
There is no restriction or limitation in the Sharīʿah regarding the specific number of days for conducting lessons of the Qur’an.
However, the teacher, preacher, or scholar must consider the audience's mental capacity and avoid causing boredom.
Allah ﷻ mentioned regarding Nūḥ ʿalayhis-salām:
﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا﴾
“He said: O my Lord! Indeed, I invited my people [to Your religion] night and day.”
[Sūrah Nūḥ: 5]
This shows that inviting towards Allah — day and night — is completely permissible, and this was the way of all Prophets.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also used to invite, teach, and admonish the people at various times, while considering their tolerance and avoiding monotony.
«كان النبي ﷺ يتخولنا بالموعظة في الأيام كراهة السآمة علينا»
“The Prophet ﷺ used to choose certain days to give us admonition, fearing that we might become weary.”
Imām al-Bukhārī placed the following chapter title on this hadith:
“Chapter: The Prophet ﷺ would assign specific times for admonishing and educating so that people would not be repelled.”
This indicates that avoiding boredom is important, even if constancy in good deeds is encouraged.
Alternating days, weekly sessions, or short breaks can help maintain interest and receptivity.
Refer: Fatḥ al-Bārī, 1/163
Imām al-Bukhārī then established a new chapter:
“Chapter: One who assigns specific days for the people of knowledge.”
Under this, he mentioned:
Abū Wā’il (Shaqīq) reported that ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه used to give a sermon every Thursday.
Someone said to him:
“O Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān! I wish you would preach to us every day.”
He replied:
“What prevents me is that I do not want to cause you boredom.”
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما advised:
“Deliver your reminder to people once a week. If you insist, then twice. If more, then thrice — but do not bore people with the Qur’an.”
ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها advised:
“Deliver a lesson once a week. If you insist, then twice or thrice.
Do not go to people while they are engaged in their own conversations, and then interrupt them with your talk.
Speak only when they are attentive.
And avoid excessive rhyming in supplication, for I have seen the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions disapprove of it.”
“My Anṣārī brother and I used to live in a village outside Madīnah, called Banū Umayyah ibn Zayd.
One day I would go to the Prophet ﷺ, and the next day he would go.
Whoever went would inform the other of what occurred that day.”
This shows that daily lessons of the Prophet ﷺ were taking place,
but some attendees would alternate attendance based on convenience.
❖ There is no fixed limit in the Sharīʿah on how often Qur’an lessons can be held.
❖ Daily sessions are permissible if the attendees are willing and interested.
❖ However, if signs of boredom or mental fatigue appear, it is preferable to limit sessions to once or twice a week,
as practiced by the Companions and early scholars.
Thus, flexibility is allowed based on the context, audience, and environment.
❖ Question:
How many days a week can Qur’an lessons be held in the mosque? Can it be conducted daily after any of the prayers, or should a fixed day and time be chosen each week? Please explain what is established from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
✿ Answer:
There is no restriction or limitation in the Sharīʿah regarding the specific number of days for conducting lessons of the Qur’an.
However, the teacher, preacher, or scholar must consider the audience's mental capacity and avoid causing boredom.
❖ Prophetic Practice and Qur’anic Evidence:
Allah ﷻ mentioned regarding Nūḥ ʿalayhis-salām:
﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا﴾
“He said: O my Lord! Indeed, I invited my people [to Your religion] night and day.”
[Sūrah Nūḥ: 5]This shows that inviting towards Allah — day and night — is completely permissible, and this was the way of all Prophets.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also used to invite, teach, and admonish the people at various times, while considering their tolerance and avoiding monotony.
❖ Hadith from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
«كان النبي ﷺ يتخولنا بالموعظة في الأيام كراهة السآمة علينا»
“The Prophet ﷺ used to choose certain days to give us admonition, fearing that we might become weary.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-ʿIlm, Bāb Mā Kān al-Nabī ﷺ Yatahawwaluhum..., Ḥadīth: 68
Imām al-Bukhārī placed the following chapter title on this hadith:
“Chapter: The Prophet ﷺ would assign specific times for admonishing and educating so that people would not be repelled.”
This indicates that avoiding boredom is important, even if constancy in good deeds is encouraged.
Alternating days, weekly sessions, or short breaks can help maintain interest and receptivity.
Refer: Fatḥ al-Bārī, 1/163❖ Fixed Days for Lessons:
Imām al-Bukhārī then established a new chapter:
“Chapter: One who assigns specific days for the people of knowledge.”
Under this, he mentioned:
Abū Wā’il (Shaqīq) reported that ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه used to give a sermon every Thursday.
Someone said to him:
“O Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān! I wish you would preach to us every day.”
He replied:
“What prevents me is that I do not want to cause you boredom.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth: 70
❖ Guidance from Other Companions:
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما advised:
“Deliver your reminder to people once a week. If you insist, then twice. If more, then thrice — but do not bore people with the Qur’an.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Daʿawāt, Bāb Mā Yukrah min al-Sajʿ fī al-Duʿā’, Ḥadīth: 6337
ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها advised:
“Deliver a lesson once a week. If you insist, then twice or thrice.
Do not go to people while they are engaged in their own conversations, and then interrupt them with your talk.
Speak only when they are attentive.
And avoid excessive rhyming in supplication, for I have seen the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions disapprove of it.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, Ḥadīth: 978 | Musnad Aḥmad: 6/217, Ḥadīth: 26340
❖ Example from Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه:
“My Anṣārī brother and I used to live in a village outside Madīnah, called Banū Umayyah ibn Zayd.
One day I would go to the Prophet ﷺ, and the next day he would go.
Whoever went would inform the other of what occurred that day.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-ʿIlm, Bāb al-Tanāwub fī al-ʿIlm, Ḥadīth: 89
This shows that daily lessons of the Prophet ﷺ were taking place,
but some attendees would alternate attendance based on convenience.
✔ Conclusion:
❖ There is no fixed limit in the Sharīʿah on how often Qur’an lessons can be held.
❖ Daily sessions are permissible if the attendees are willing and interested.
❖ However, if signs of boredom or mental fatigue appear, it is preferable to limit sessions to once or twice a week,
as practiced by the Companions and early scholars.
Thus, flexibility is allowed based on the context, audience, and environment.
